Yes - Fragile

2003 remastered reissue of 1972 album includes two bonus tracks, 'America' & 'Roundabout' (Early Rough Mix). Digipak in a slipcase. Elektra/Rhino. Album Description

YES!!!

If your a Yes fan you already have this album, but if you are just getting into Yes or just cheking out new music, BUY THIS ALBUM, one of my all time favorites. Every song incredible and the album makeup is fantastic! May 26, 2008

One of the best albums of all time!

I don't leave too many reviews, but I'll make an exception for this album. Fragile ranks firmly in the top ten albums of all time along with Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Electric Ladyland, Zeppelin IV, Moving Pictures, and others. I highly recommend it.
This is a concept album, where each Yes member contributes solo pieces like We Have Heaven, the Fish, and Mood For a Day, to compliment the longer, and more complex group efforts like Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise. Songs lead into other songs perfectly like on so many other classic albums.It's brilliant. May 12, 2008

Under-rated well rated album ...

I have heard Fragile since around 1977, but it faded back in my playlist since 1990. 'South Side of the Sky' randomly popped up in my iTunes rotation, and I was struck by the composition as if I was hearing it for the first time. Then I listened to the album again.

This album is amazing. They were doing things so fresh and adept they haven't been triumphed since. Fragile is an album that stands alone. Going for the One, and Relayer, are similar in effort but lack something this album gets; youthful energy. While energetic, it is wistful, and jazzy, and classical. I believe by the middle of the 21st century this album will be one of the iconic hallmark sounds of the 'hippie years'. If the rights were free I suspect it would be the Vivaldi Seasons of rock; played on every luxury class car commercial.

The mood of John Anderson's tenderly plaintive voice, his emphatic, dreamy, poetically vague lyrics set over tones pinned and adorned cunningly by Wakeman's classic keyboard undercurrent. In between is a mesh of rock instruments surging with natural integrity, not scattered, hardcore ebullience or generic, burned out distortion. The combination of longer, dramatic pieces mixed with shorter bursts makes this album seem like a buffet of art rather than a dump of aimless stabs at record charting junk food for the ear. April 13, 2008

Seems faithful to the original vinyl

This is just a review of the audio quality. "Fragile" was probably my favorite prog-rock record from 1972-1975. I listened to it hundreds of times under a variety of settings, so I'm pretty familiar with the music. I heard the first CD version a long time ago and found the audio to be, uh, crappy. This 2003 remaster sounds very close to the original vinyl. I thought they might goose up the bottom and top, but that does not seem to be the case. Digital came a long way in the 1990s, so I think one can be comfortable with most remasters dating after 2000. If I were a Yes fanatic today, I might very well seek out a mint vinyl copy to compare, but since I haven't done that, I'll play it safe and stick with 4 stars. April 2, 2008

The original masterpiece--remastered with bonus tracks!

I just want to start my review by saying thank you, Rhino. In 2003, the entire Yes Atlantic catalog (with the exception of 1987's 'Big Generator') was reissued and remastered by Rhino. And it's much easier to appreciate their music because of it.

'Fragile' is a legendary record. Keyboardist Tony Kaye had left the group, and Rick Wakeman, a former member of Strawbs, was named Kaye's replacement. He made his debut with the group in late-1971 with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'America,' which was released on the Atlantic various artists compilation 'The Golden Age of Atlantic.'

Shortly after the compilation was released, the group cut their most famous record of the 1970s, 'Fragile.' The record is probably most famous for including the classic rock radio staples 'Roundabout' and 'Long Distance Runaround.'

But, what makes this record a standout to me isn't the fact that the songs are among the best songs Yes ever wrote (which they are), but the fact that this is probably their most experimental. Take 'Cans And Brahms.' It's one of Wakeman's best keyboard solos period, and what makes it even more interesting is that it's a cover--of a classical music piece.

And, another fine example is the 38-second (yes, I said second) long 'Five Per Cent For Nothing.' It's just a jam session of the four members (there are no vocals). Now if only it was longer...

And my last and final example is 'We Have Heaven.' It's Steve Howe adding short guitar riffs, while Jon Anderson experiments with vocals. It's ranks with one of my favorite Yes songs.

The bonus tracks are great. Of course, true Yes fans already own 'America' from their 1974 compilation 'Yesterdays.' But the early mix of 'Roundabout' is very interesting and is slightly different from the album version.

Overall, this is highly recommended for any Yes fan. One of their best by a long shot. ENJOY!!! April 2, 2008

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